Feeding device for sewing-machines



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. W. G. HEWINS. FEEDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 600,075. Patented M21121, 1898.

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' (N0 Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. G. HEWINS. FEEDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 600,075.PatentedMaL- 1,1898.

WI'TNEY 5E5 (No Model.) I 4 SheetsSheet 4.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLARD G. HEWINS, OF FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,075, dated March 1,1898.

' Application filed February 25, 1895. Serial No- 539,68f5. (No model.)i

7 T0 at whom it may concern.-

purpose called the Willcox 85 Gibbs and.

the invention consists of improvements in sewing-machines moreparticularly for use in the sewing of straw braid in the manufacture ofstraw hats, all constructed and arranged for operation substantially ashereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings is illustrated a WillcoX & Gibbssewing-machine having the present improvements applied thereto.

Figures 1 and 2 are views respectively of the opposite sides of thesewing-machine. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view below the line of theneedle-plate, which is removed. Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectionon line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail front view. Fig. 6 is across-section on line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on line '77 Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail end view of the feed and its block. Fig. 9is a detail vertical section of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a section like Fig.9, but showing the feed in a different position. Fig. 11 is a detailsection on line 11 11, Fig. 2, showingsome of the operating parts infront View. Fig. 12 is a detail section on line 12 12, Fig. 1. Fig. 13is a detail elevation and section on line 13 13, Fig. 1. Fig. 14 is across-section on line 14 14, Fig. 8.

In the drawings, A represents the bed and frame of the sewing-machine;B, its drivingshaft; 0, its needle-bar; D,,its needle-bar lever; E, itslooper; F, its feed-dog; H, its top plate; J, its presser-foot; K, itspresser-foot bar; 'L, its side guide; M, its braid-guide, and N itstension device, all substantially as usual in a Willcox & Gibbssewing-machineand needing no more particular description herein exceptasto the present invention.

The shaft B turns in a long longitudinal bearing R in the frame, asshown in section near its looper end, and just under this groove f inthe frame below it is a vertical hole or and is a great improvement uponthe short bearing for the reason that the oil-feed holes for the shaftcan be at quite a distance from the stitching mechanism, so that thereis much less liability of the oil working along the shaft to thestitching mechanism, soiling the goods being sewed, as is now often thecase in such sewing-machines having the short bearing for the shaft. Thegroove T in the shaft also prevents the oil from passing along the shaftbeyond it, for as the oil reaches this groove it drops into it andfinally falling down into the passage a in the frame runs out at itslower end, where it is wiped away or caught in a suitable receptacleplaced in position therefor. This groove also serves another purposeitprevents dirt from the goods being sewed passing along the shaft fromthe looper end, causing considerable wear upon the shaft-bearing, whichof course is very objectionable.

A great deal of the straw braid is sewed at once into the hat-form fromthe package or bundle in which it is received at the factory, and asthere is more or less dirt in it which is not cleaned out before sewingin the use of the machine with the short bearing the oil being close tothe looper the dirt is mixed with the oil and works along with it on theshaft in its bearing, causing the bearing to Wear very fast, making theshaft loose, which is a serious trouble; but withthe long bearing hereindescribed and shown the oil-feed much longer time than the shortbearing, and this has been demonstrated fully in practical use.

U is a cam-wheel secured on the shaft by a screw b against a collar V,secured to the frame by a screw d, the cam-wheel being arranged to turnin a bearing or socket in an arm V, which extends upward therefrom, itsupper end being freely disposed between a block A, secured by a screw fto the rear side of the frame-bar B, and a plate 0, secured to the frameby a screw g on two of its sides and by the frame-bar at h and a plateD, secured by a screw m to the block A, on the other two sides of thearm, the side of the plate or bearing D being on a curved linevertically, as shown in Fig. 11.

The upper screw m of the plate D serves as a pivot for the plate, theother screw passing through a horizontal slot 1' in the plate, whichallows the plate to be swung on its pivot toward and from the cam-arm toregulate the bearing between such plate and the side of the frame-bar B,the curved side allowing for the swinging movement of the arm as its camby the revolution with the shaft moves the arm backward and forward.

The arm V has an extension E toward the front of the machinesubstantially horizontal, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, to theend of which is secured the feed-block F (see Figs. 9 and 10 moreparticularly) by a screw t, passing through a vertical slot u in theblock and screwing into the end of the arm E. On the outer side of thefeed-block, near its upper end, is secured by a screw 12 the feed-dog F,having its upper surface serrated or toothed, as usual in sewing-machinefeed. This feed-dog F has a downwardly-projecting arm G at right anglesthereto arranged to fit easily in a vertical recess y in the feed-block,the sides a of which prevent sidewise movement of the feed-dog.

The seat b of the recess for the feed-arm G is cut or inclined under, asshown in Figs. 9 and 10, toward the feed-block, so that if the feed-armG lies closely upon its seat 19 the operating-surface of the feed-dogwill be inclined or at angle to the horizontal plane of the machine, asshown in Fig. 9.

II is a headless screw which screws into the block below the recess, butis so located that the lower end of the feed-arm G will lie against orbe over the screw, so that if the screw H is turned out more or less andthe feed-dog screwed down in place the lower end of its arm G will bearon this screw, and the working face then of the feed-dog will be more orless at an angle one way or the other from the horizontal plane of themachineas, for instance, in Fig. 9 the screw is turned way in, so thatthe arm G bears its whole length upon its seat, which makes thefeedsurface, as shown, incline outward; but if the screw H is turned outsufliciently the feedsurface would be in a horizontal plane, as shown inFig. 10; but if turned out more its surface would be at an angle ofinclination opposite to that shown in Fig. 9.

The direction of changing the angles of the feed-dog is at right anglesto the forward and backward movement of the feed 01' across it. Thesechanges of incline of the feed-dog are for the purpose when sewing thestraw braid into the form of the hat to cause one side or the other ofthe braid to be fed faster than the other in order to produce a fullingof the braid when shaping it in the hollow or concave form of the hat,for if the feed-surface on the angle shown in Fig. 9 is feeding thebraid the edge of the braid over the highest point d will be fed orforced faster than the edge of the braid at the opposite side of thefeed, consequently fulling the braid, and if the angle of incline isopposite to that shown in Fig. 9 the other edge of the braid will be fedfaster accordingly, such differences in feeding effect being more orless according as the feed-dog is more or less at an angle either way tothe horizontal plane of the machine and as desired to effect the feedingof the braid one side or the other, as is well understood in sewingbraid into hat-s.

At the lower end of the feed-lever arm \V is secured by screws f avertical plate J which extends outward and is freely disposed between ablock K, secured to the frame by screws 9, and an arm 71. of a plate L,secured by screws m to the block K, the plate J being carried by thefeed-arm and moving in the space M, between the plate-arm h and block K,serving as a guide to the feed-arm in its movements to prevent any undueangular strain or cramp on its cam U.

Secured to theforward end of the frame-arm B by screws n is a plateN,whioh has ahollow or curved bearing-surface r in cross-section to fitthe side of the needle bar or rod, as shown in side view in Fig. 5 andinsection in Fig. 6. The holes through which the two screws n pass inthis bearing-plate, are elongated horizontally, as shown in Fig. 6 in insection, so that this plate can be moved to and from the needle-barwithin the limits of its screw-slots and secured at any place by itsscrews. The object of this plate is to take up the wear of the bearingsa of the needlebar from its operation, for in the throw of theneedle-bar arm D the outer side 1; of the needle-bearings wear away moreor less faster than the opposite side, and therefore the needle-barbecomes loose in its bearings, and consequently does not work so well,and to properly fix it otherwise than in accordance with this inventiontakes considerable time and work,whereas with the plate N appliedthereto if such bearings wear the plate can be moved up sufficientlyclose to the needle-bar to make the proper joint between the bar andbearings, and then securing the plate by its screws in such position theneedle-bar will be properly guided for its work, overcoming thislooseness with little trouble and time. The

presserfoot bar K has applied to it asimilar IIO arrangement to obviatethe wear of its bearings.

Secured by screws to the front end of the frame-arm B is a small plateP, which extends down alongside, as at Q, and then under the frame end,as at a 'in dotted lines in Fig. 7, and back of the presser-foot bar Khas a vertical groove 19 in its side, which fits and is arranged to bearagainst the rear side of the presser-foot bar, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 7.

The holes cl in the plate orblock P through which the screws w pass areelongated horizontally, so the block can be moved backward and forwardwithin their limits. As the tendency of the presser-foot-bar bearing isto wear upon its rear side, caused bythe operation of the feed infeeding the goods through the machine, this bearing-block P can be movedup to the presser-foot bar and secured by its screws to hold it firmlyfor its proper bearing upon the presser-foot bar.

The post R, having an eye f for guiding the thread to the needle-bar, isinserted in a vertical socket g in the frame, so it can be moved up anddown therein and is secured at any desired height by a set-screw S, as

shown in Fig. 13, by which as in sewing some class of goods morestrain'is needed on the thread the post is moved down a sufficientdistance for such purpose and secured by the set-screw, and whendesirous of lessening this strain the post is moved up the desireddistance and secured as before.

' The tension device N (shown in section in Fig. 12) consists of a postU, secured in a socket in a portion 71 of the frame by a setscrew m inwhich socket it can be moved up and down. The portion 71, of the frameis preferably round in cross-section and has just above its uppersurface two disks V W, loosely fitting over the post, the lower one, V,resting on a washer Y on the frame and having its edges turned down allaround,.

and the upper disk W having its edges turned up, and above these disksare two caps A B encircling the post, their open ends toward each otherand one, A being of larger diameter to freely fit over the other, B asshown in section'in Fig. 12, and in between these two oaps is a spiralspring 0 On the outer end of this post U, is a screwthread, over whichscrews a nut D to press down upon the upper cap against'the spring 0 andholds the two disks close together with the proper pressure upon thethread E, which passes between them from the spool. The upper end of thepost is slit or cutlongitudinally into two parts, as at of, which form aspring to act laterally upon the screw-nut to prevent its accidentallybecoming loose and thus alter the tension on the thread.

The sewing-thread E comes from the spool (not shown) forward through aneyehole r in a short post F secured to the frame back of the needle-barlever, through an eye t in said lever, to and around the post U, asdesired, back to and through an eye. in apost R, to and through an eyein the upper end of the needle-bar 0, down to the needle.

The constant passing of the thread about the tension-post U after awhile wears more or less upon the post, roughening or grooving it,making the passage of the thread round about the post more or lessirregular and thus interfering with the proper delivery of the threadtherefrom, and to obviate this trouble the present arrangement of thepost and its support is provided for by loosening the setscrew m andeither lower or raise the post N in its socket until a new place on thepost comes in line with the travel of the thread around the post betweenthe two disks, and then tightening the set-screw securing the post inplace, which makes it as good as new. The post can be moved quite anumber of times for such purpose, which extends the life of the post andin a very simple, convenient, and cheap manner.

If desired, a cover or plate can be placed over the top of the frameabove the shaft to cover up the oil-holes S to prevent dirt getting inthe oil, andin such case such plate can be pivoted at one end, so it canswing out of the way when desirous of supplying oil to the bearing.

The cam-arm W can be of any form or extend in any direction to itsguide-bearing at its upper endas, for instance, it could extend in acurved line thereto, following substantially the outline of the curvedframearm back of the needle-bar lever.

The advantage of a small washer under the tension-disks is that theresistance on the lower disk is so slight that it allows the two disksto revolve around the post as the thread moves along,thus presentingconstantly a new surface of the disks to the thread, which prevents anywear upon the disks at any particular place by the thread, as it wouldif the disks were held practically from any movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In asewing-machine, in combination, a revolving shaft carrying thestitching-looper, a cam on said shaft, an arm engaging said cam andextending upward therefrom, a guiding-bearing for the upper end of saidarm, a side extension of said arm and the feed-dog secured to saidextension.

2. In a sewing-machine, in combination, a revolving shaft carrying thestitching-looper, a cam on said shaft, an arm carrying the feeddog engagingsaid cam and extending upward therefrom, a guiding-bearing for theupper end of said arm, an extension of said arm, and a guide or bearingfor said extension.

3. In a sewing-machine, in combination, a revolving shaft carrying thestitching-looper, a cam on said shaft, an arm carrying the feeddogengaging said cam and extending upward therefrom, a bearing for theupper end of said arm, having one of its sides curved longitudinally.

4. In a sewing-machine, a feed-block, a recess in said block on itsouter side, a bearingsurface in said recess cut or inclined under, aregulating-screw in the feed-block at the lower end of saidbearing-surface, and a feeddog having an arm to be secured to saidfeedblock by a screw through said arm.

5. In a sewing-machine, in combination a feed-block, bearing-surface onits side, out or inclined under,a regulating-screw in the feedblock atthe lower end of said bearing-surface, and a feed-dog adapted to besecured to said feed-block and to be adj usted by the regulating-screw.

